Rating: 
Summary: George Pal's Best Movie
Review: Most people consider "The Time Machine" Pal's best work, but while it is great, I prefer this oriental Mary Poppins, who brings his bizarre circus to a small Arizona town and solves everyone's problems. Featuring Tony Randall in seven roles (Only 3 of which are substantial characterizations: Dr. Lao, Hyppolotus and Merlin), Oscar-winning make-ups, dated but fun special effects, a sterling supporting cast including Barbara Eden, Noah Berry Jr, Arthur O'Connell and Lee Patrick in the best role of her career, a delightful musical score and dollops of humor. The book by Charles Finney is EVEN BETTER. Enjoy! The one "Extra" is a lame news piece done at the time with KHJ-TV's Wayne Thomas (Who used to announce a TV show I used to write) exploring the make up magic in the film.
Rating:
Summary: This movie appeals to all ages, adults and children both
Review: It is rare for a movie to be interesting and entertaining to both children and adults. Most child movies are to simple for adults to really enjoy fully. Most adult movies are to complex and fast and require things that a child needs to have explained to fully enjoy (If you do not understand that statement, take somebody 18-25 to see "Forest Gump")In Dr. Lao, the movie flows evenly, with cute characters that almost any child knows about (Loch Ness Monster, Merlin, Abominable Snowman, Medusa). These are blended well with a strong substory involving a small town in late 1800 to early 1900 Arizona. Do they sell their homes and businesses to a rancher that wants to "improve" their life by buying them out. The acting by Tony Randal is FANTASTIC! He performes 6 characters in the movie (similar to what Peter Sellers would do in his movies). And he does them all very well. Nobody but Mr. Sellers himself could have done as fine a job. And while the special effects may seem dated by todays computer animation standards, it is fantastic considering the movie is 41 years old! I remember seeing it as a child, and have seen it 2 or 3 times since then on TV. I was very eager to grab it up on DVD when it became available, and have not been dissapointed. This is a must see movie, for any child, or somebody that is a child at heart. It is to bad that more movies like this are not made anymore. I can only hope that some film makers can rediscover this gem, and remake this style of movie. Although I am also afraid that if they remade the movie itself, it would be totally ruined.
Rating:
Summary: Tony Randall's Excellent Adventure
Review: I saw this when it first came out on TV many years ago and it blew me away. Then I read the book it was based on and that was even better.
Rating:
Summary: PLEASE! BECOME PART OF THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO!
Review: "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" has been my all-time favorite film for 20 years. It is the best movie from fantasy/science-fiction film pioneer George Pal (his other wonderful films include "The Time Machine," "Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm," and "War of the Worlds"). The script was written by fantasy-master Charles Beaumont ("Twilight Zone," "Masque of the Red Death") adapted from the cult novel "Circus of Dr. Lao" by Charles Finney. The special effects, while unpolished by today's standards, are done by masters of their art, including the best stop-motion animator ever, Jim Danforth. It is well acted by a great cast: Barbara Eden, Arthur O'Connel,and (most of all)Tony Randall in the role(s) of his career. This is a magical, moving, marvelous one-of-a-kind film, and now that it's on DVD, DON'T MISS IT! You'll want to enter the world of Dr. Lao over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Strange, wonderful, uplifting
Review: I saw this film over 25 years ago. It made a permanent imprint on me. I had never seen anything like it (and haven't, since). It's a western, and a fantasy (but not science fiction). It's also mythological and even a bit religious. It's also a wonderful, life-affirming film. I've never been a fan of Tony Randall, who I always remember as the prissy little neurotic in "The Odd Couple," but I have to give him the greatest credit in this movie (he plays six parts!) The special effects are Ray Harryhausen stop-motion (and obviously fake) but that is part of the enormous charm of this movie--as exemplified by the amusing-looking snake in the cage with a man's face on it, and the goldfish-bowl-dwelling monster than attempts to snack on Dr. Lao. In some ways this movie reminds me of Ray Bradbury's _Something Wicked This Way Comes,_ but this is a far superior film. In fact, I'd have to call it a classic.
Rating:
Summary: My childhood visions come true...
Review: ...and then some. The original STAR WARS films look dated to me, but this seems strangely relevant. I remember being dragged out of this film as a child because I was crying at the end. Seeing it again, if you AREN'T crying at the end you should be institutionalized! This was a movie for great character actors with a fine story. In fact it is a story potentially damaging to the current Administation. "You should be ashamed of yourself for doubting Mr. Stark!" In other words you should be ashamed of yourselves for doubting BushCo's lies. If you are a Republican -- don't buy or rent this; it will subvert your children. Please send my your stupid assertions; I will gladly delete them!
Rating:
Summary: A well told morality tale
Review: 7 Faces of Dr. Lao can be looked at in two different ways. The movie, released in 1964, can be seen as a morality lesson. It is the story of the small Arizona town of Abalone full of citizens who suffer from greed, vanity, loneliness, and pettiness. When Dr. Lao brings his mystical circus to town, the townsfolk get a good look at themselves and don't always like what they see. For today's audience the movie is a bit slow and ponderous. The film is highly predictable and you know by the end of the film that everyone gets exactly what they deserve and once the errors in their ways are pointed out to them then they will miraculously change for the better and everyone will live happily ever after.
The second, and more enjoyable, is to focus on the performance of Tony Randall. Randall is amazing as the Chinese impresario Dr. Lao. Tony Randall portrays all seven inhabitants of Dr. Lao's circus: Dr. Lao, Merlin the Magician, Medusa, The Abominable Snowman, Pan, the serpent, and Apollonius of Tyana, he also makes a brief appearance as Tony Randall. As you are watching the film you forget that it is the same man playing all those parts, and it is widely considered one of Randall's most impressive performances. William Tuttle, who won an honorary Academy Award for his astounding make-up work, flawlessly transforms Randall from one character to the next. The film also comes from Director George Pal, who is also known for directing such classics as Time Machine and War of the Worlds, brings his distinctive blending of reality and fantasy to this film. Randall's performance, along with the incredible make-up work of William Tuttle and fine direction by George Pal make this a must see film...
Rating:
Summary: I'd give Seven Stars for Dr. Lao if I could
Review: One of the most charming and wonderful fantasy films of all time. This is the story of Abelone, a dying town in the desert at the turn of the 20th century. In arrives Dr. Lao, played with great effect by Tony Randall in what is probably his best performance ever. With him, he brings his unusual circus and its performers. Including an Abomidable Snowman (who is barely used in the film and has no scene to himself), Merlin the Magician (very good), Pan the God of Joy, The Great Serpent, Apollonius the blind fortune teller who sees the future with absolute clarity, and the Medusa. Basically, the townspeople must decide whether to sell their town to the misguided Clint Stark (played wonderfully by Arther O' Connell) or to stay and risk going thirsty with the town's only water source coming through a crumbling and very expensive to fix pipe. With a little help from Dr. Lao and his circus, the townspeople eventually make the right decision. There are just too many great scenes for me to describe, nor would I want to give away too much. I would encourage you to see this movie as it's one of the best fantasy films ever made. Unfortunatly, Tony Randall passed away recently and he never liked giving interviews about this film. Which is a real shame since the DVD extras are pretty barren. My understanding is that Mr. Randall did not like how the script left out so much of the original book and that too much attention was paid to "romance" between Barbara Eden (who is just gorgeous) and John Ericson (in a great supporting turn). I found it rather interesting that Dr. Lao pronounces his name "Dr. Low", yet everyone else, including a very attentive boy, calls him "Dr. La-ow". As an aside, the episode of MST3K when Joel Robinson leaves the Satelite of Love for good ("Mitchell"), he recites the "Circus of Dr. Lao" poem. But he calls him "Dr. Loo". I guess no one is ever suppose to get the pronounciation right. Look for an eight character played by Tony Randall. He appears briefly without makeup just after Dr. Lao introduces his pet fish after the "parade of performers" scene. While the crowd around him claps with delight, Tony just slowly shakes head in disbelief. A wonderful little scene.
Rating:
Summary: Must be watched several times
Review: A dysfunctional town is soon to be a railway way station. Only Clint Stark (Arthur O'Connell) knows this and is making the towns people even more dissatisfied with their life so he can buy them out cheaply. Can no one come to the rescue not only for the economics but the people them selves? A mysterious visitor appears and everyone is excited to see he has brought a circus. But is it what it appears, and is there a message? "The whole world is a circus if you look at it the right way. Every time you pick up a handful of dust and see not the dust but a mystery, a marvel there in your hand. Every time you stop and think I'm alive and being alive is fantastic. Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the circus of Dr. Lao." The movie has appeal on many levels. Such as Tony Randall plays many parts as Dr. Lao, Merlin, Pan, The Abominable Snowman, Medusa, a Giant Serpent, Apollonius of Tyanna, and an audience member. There is a parade of talented actors. Barbra Eden gets to sweat. Special effects are by George Pal (War of the Worlds, and The Time Machine". And the movie is based on the book "The Circus of Dr. Lao" by Charles G. Finney.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant movie
Review: The day after Tony Randall passed, I pulled out my DVD of "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao," one of the oddest movies in Randall's long career. It's also one of my very favorite movies of all time. The plot is pretty simple. Dr. Lao, a strange Chinese gent, comes riding into the dying town of Abalone, Arizona on a yellow donkey. A catfish in a bowl rides behind him. He comes into town to stage his circus. His arrival comes at an interesting time. Clinton Stark, the town entrepreneur, is at loggerheads with newspaper publisher Ed Cunningham. Stark has just made an offer at a town meeting to buy out all the property in town stating that the water main is collapsing and the town doesn't have enough money to repair it. However, Stark's real motive is that the railroad will be coming through town and he can turn a mighty profit on selling the land to the railroad. The townsfolk are just about ready to sell out; Stark's offer sounds good and Abalone is in the middle of nowhere. Editor Cunningham is suspicious, and so is Angela Benedict, the town librarian. Ed's in love with Angela, but she's still wearing her widow's weeds for a husband eight years dead. Into all this rides Dr. Lao, who sets up his circus...a circus of the mind where no one who walks through the tent flap remains unchanged. I will tell you this: this is a corny movie, and everything does turn out all right in the end. The special effects won an Academy Award in 1964, but they are stop-motion effects (from director George Pal) and the makeup and effects are limited by time and place. And yes, there's a kid and even a dog. Don't hold that against this film. In its defense I will say thatit was written by Charles Beaumont, the writer responsible for a number of classic Twilight Zone episodes. And there are more than a few edgy and even frightening moments here, far more than anyone should expect from a "family" movie in 1964. For example, the completely frivolous Mrs. Cassin goes to visit the seer Apollonius of Tyana to get her fortune read. Mrs. Cassin's character is that of a beauty past her bloom, a snobbish, gossipy and silly old lady who still fancies herself the belle of a long-forgotten ball. Having her fortune read is a lark to her. She ventures into Apollonius' tent. The first time you see Tony Randall as Apollonius, you think, "Oh jeez, Tony Randall in a blonde wig, mustache and beard." Yes. True. But his face. Randall's Apollonius looks infinitely old, infinitely tired. In essence the corny-ness of the makeup is destroyed by the way Randall holds himself and speaks. In spite of yourself, you find yourself believing that this is an infinitely old and sad man who sees the future, and maybe doesn't want to. Mrs. Cassin, flustered by Apollonius' faraway attitude, eventually ends up taunting him. Her true nastiness emerges as she finally says, "I paid you! go on then, tell my fortune!" In one of the most chilling moments in the movies (and I will defend that statement), Apollonius tells her: "Tomorrow will be like today, and the day after tomorrow will be like the day before yesterday. I see your remaining days as a tedious collection of hours full of useless vanities. You will think no new thoughts. You will forget what little you have known. Older you will become, but not wiser. Stiffer, but not more dignified. Childless you are, and childless you will remain. Of that suppleness you once commanded in your youth, of that strange simplicity which once attracted men to you, neither endures, nor shall you recapture them...When you die, you will be buried and forgotten, and that is all. And for all the good or evil, creation or destruction, your living might have accomplished, you might just as well never have lived at all." Randall says this without judgment or malice, in an infinitely sad and infinitely empty tone. If you do not feel the icy wind of fear across your soul when you watch this, you're not paying attention. Mrs. Cassin rushes out of the tent weeping. When Angela Benedict, the Librarian, finds her, Mrs. Cassin's face snaps back to its usual phony cheerfulness, and she chirps, "Oh, it was quite interesting. Do you know, he told me that I shall marry Mr. Stark!" Ah, Angela Benedict. Angela is played by Barbara Eden. A young and quite luscious, brunette, Barbara Eden. Before Jeannie. Benedict is clinging to her widow's weeds to avoid the attentions of Ed Cunningham, to avoid rejoining life. And Angela Benedict ventures into the tent of Pan. Yes, Pan. the Great God Pan. Once again the shortcomings of the makeup(according to our modern technology) are overcome. Pan begins to play his pipes and dance around Angela. She loses her balance. The music gets wilder. The tent is gone; we are in a forest. She loses her focus. Her schoolmarm's dress becomes undone at the neck. She sweats. Her hair falls out of its bun. Pan's likeness changes; he looks like Ed Cunningham, but Ed Cunningham with horns and hooves, half-naked, powerful, laughing, taunting her, enticing her. There's no sex, not even a kiss at the end of this scene; only a very young and very, very beautiful Barbara Eden clinging to a convenient tent pole, or is it a tree in the forest? coming undone, sweating, gasping, and completely under the spell of Pan. And again, if you don't find this scene intensely erotic, you're not paying attention. In short, folks, even though this film is corny and has technical flaws according to our 21st Century standards, it is far outside the boundaries of 1964, and touches on things that no other movie has. Suspend your disbelief and see this movie. I will leave you with this, from a scene where Dr. Lao is talking to Mike, who is Angela Benedict's son. "Mike, the whole world is a circus if you look at it the right way. Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust, but a mystery, a marvel, there in your hand - every time you stop and think, 'I'm alive, and being alive is fantastic!' - every time such a thing happens, Mike, you are part of the Circus of Dr. Lao."
| 
